Mute



E. WHITE Nov. 25, 1941.

MUTE

Filed July 8, 1941 IN'VENTOR an, 744L217 WM ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 25,1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUTE Edna White, New York, N. Y.,assignor of fourfifths to herself and one-fifth to Crichton Clarke, NewYork, N. Y.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved mute for use on all musicalinstruments with which mutes are now used, and which employ a cupmouthpiece.

The present practice is to mute such instruments by inserting acone-shaped or other mute into the fiare or bell mouth of the trumpet,cornet, trombone, baritone, French horn or other instrument.

My invention is based on my discovery of the principle of muting suchinstruments at or near the mouthpiece or beginning at the breath streamrather than at the horn, flare, or exit of the breath stream.

I accomplish this result preferably by inserting any suitable mutingunit into or near the mouthpiece tube at or near its jointure with thetube of the instrument.

In ordinary practice, the upper end of the horn or other instrument isfitted around the tube or outlet from the mouthpiece and held thereon bya close or friction fit.

The mute of my invention may be similarly and removably fittedfrictionally or otherwise in the tube of the mouthpiece, so that fromthe inside to the outside of the instrument comes first the mute fittedfrictionally into the lower end of the mouthpiece away from themouthpart. Then around the outside of the mouthpiece tube fits the upperend or tube of the instrument.

Several embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawing, it being understood that other changes in the shape form andlocation of the improved mute may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows an elevation partly in section showing location of mutewhen in use.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged vertical section of mute.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a modified form of mute in vertical section.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawing.

The mute shown in Figure 1 consists of a hollow tube I which contains acone-shaped sleeve 2 around which are four air channels 333-3.

The mute proper 4 is cone-shaped as shown and its pointed end 5 isthreaded into the top of the cone shape sleeve 3.

The mute can be adjusted by turning it one way or the other to let agreater or lesser amount of air around the cone.

The modified form of mute shown in Figure 4 consists of a sleeve Iihaving its closed lower end I perforated as shown, with air channels 8.

This improved mute is for all brass or other similar mouthpieceinstruments and is designed on an entirely new principle, that of mutingthe tone at the source of the breath stream instead of the principle nowin use, that of muting at the end or intermediate places of the breathstream. The mute fits into the end or stem of the mouthpiece 9. Stem ofhorn I0 is then slid onto stem of mouthpiece 9.

This mute can be used for trumpets, cornets, trombones, baritones,French horns, tubas or any other brass or similar instruments employinga cup-mouthpiece, by varying the dimensions of the models.

The advantages of the mute are many. First and foremost the pitchremains unchanged from the pitch of the instrument. Second, the tinysize of this mute makes it very convenient to carry and the appearanceof the instrument remains unchanged when the mute is in use. Use ofdifferent materials and several variations in construction provide arange of tone colors from which the artist can choose.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A wind instrument comprising a mouthpiece with a stem, a muteinserted in the stem, and a horn stem surrounding the stem of themouthpiece.

2. A wind instrument comprising a mouthpiece with a stem, an adjustablemute inserted in the stem and a horn stem surrounding the stem of themouthpiece.

EDNA WHITE.

